The Welkom Clinic, which offers services to over 300 000 residents in Welkom, is in an awfully deplorable condition, which affects both health workers and patients.
Ward councillors issued an urgent intervention to the Matjhabeng Municipality in September 2022, demanding that the clinic be maintained, as it has not been in a decade.
Parts of the intervention reads as follows: Welkom Clinic is in dire need of renovations and proper healthcare equipment. The municipality was invited to visit the premises and witness the severity of its deterioration first-hand. Welkom Clinic does not meet the minimum standards and requirements for the services it provides.
The dilapidated conditions affect the clinic’s operational efficiency and require immediate attention in order to prevent the clinic from falling apart.
According to one of the staff, some patients suffered an infection because of the unsanitary toilets, of which only one to be used by female patients is working at the moment.
The leaky ceiling is in a dire state, and water leaks in the clinic have become a hazard for patients, as they can slip and fall. The dentist office cannot operate after heavy rains because of the water.
The clinic staff had a tools-down strike on 25 January in hopes of getting the health department and municipality’s attention on the grievances.
According to the staff some of the conditions mentioned have not been attended to and there is also a shortage of medication.
“In 2022 we became aware of the issue and promptly arranged a meeting that included the ward 32 councillor and representatives of the Department of Health responsible for overseeing the building,” said Tshediso Tlali, spokesperson for the Matjhabeng Municipality.
“During this meeting, officials of the Department of Health pledged to address the concerns regarding the clinic’s conditions, with a particular focus on significant maintenance issues.
“To look deeper into solutions, we intend to organise another meeting soon to amicably resolve the matter.
“Additionally, a technical team is currently being dispatched to assess the situation and address immediate needs.”
The spokesperson for the Free State Department of Health, the district office and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure concluded that the staff were working and the toilets were in a working condition.
